Team Herald
PANJIM: While spirited citizens fight to protect heritage in the courts, with the Government clearly refusing to call the heritage-breaking monstrous villa in Old Goa illegal, the Central government has taken a clear stand on what it thinks of the structure in the UNESCO-protected heritage precincts.
The Centre appears much more honest about protecting Goa’s heritage than the State government when it comes to the illegal villa at Old Goa.
The Union government has accepted that the villa constructed in the UNESCO-protected heritage precincts at Old Goa was in violation of the Monuments and Archaeological Sites Act unlike the Goa government only maintaining that the matter is sub judice.
In a written reply dated July 29 to an unstarred question tabled by Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro regarding illegal construction at Old Goa, in the Upper House, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy has admitted that the building was constructed within the protected area of St Cajetan Church in violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
The reply stated: A building was constructed within the protected area of St Cajetan Church in violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958
The Minister said that show cause notices have been issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to the defaulter party. Meanwhile, an NGO (Save Old Goa Action Committee) has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court and the case is sub judice.
On the other hand, when the same issue was raised in the State Legislative Assembly on July 14, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was non-committal and maintained that the matter was subjudice without once stating that the construction was illegal
Sawant had said, “Matter is currently sub judice and hence the government cannot make any statement. A demolition order has been issued to the structure and revocation of construction and renewal licenses are being challenged before the Additional Director of Panchayats–I and High Court.”
Meanwhile, the Save Old Goa Action Committee appeared happy over the issue being raised in Parliament. When contacted, Save Old Goa Action Committee president Fatima Pereira said, “We are happy that the matter of illegal bungalow at Old Goa was raised by MP Luizinho Faleiro in Parliament.”
Save Old Goa Action Committee treasurer Hugo Gonsalves too expressed his happiness over the matter being taken up in the Rajya Sabha. “We are happy that everybody is now aware of what is happening in Goa,” Gonsalves demanded that the Goa government should take immediate steps to demolish the structure built within the heritage zone at Old Goa.
According to Gonsalves, the next hearing before the additional Director of Panchayats-I is fixed for August 17.
